Mistakes were made, but they did their best
It is reported that former ministers have refused to attend a Royal Commission of Inquiry hearing. (ODT 14.8.25)
That is probably well advised, as we have seen the venom expressed by a few members of our society who sometimes have anonymously created a web of hatred and misleading theory over the actions of the Labour government trying to protect us from the effects of this new and unknown pandemic.
Yes there were mistakes made, and some suffered the emotional loss of not being with their dearest as they died. Some found the mandates offensive, and some were concerned about loss of personal freedom. The hearing will give some more insight into the causes and effects of a worldwide pandemic such as this.
The steps taken were, I believe, in good faith and given that this pandemic was a new and unknown viral variation, the government under advice, took the only steps it could.
It is worthwhile reading the article "Analysing past pandemics to inform future responses" (ODT 13.8.25). This outlined just how quickly the Spanish Flu of 1918 spread; and remember, no commercial airlines. It was estimated that worldwide 50 million people died. New Zealand lost 9000 in six weeks. That is equivalent to 40,000 today.
Preparedness and survival during the next pandemic will depend on readiness and mandates such as vaccines and movement control, so we should be grateful for the work that our epidemiologists are doing.
You may be alive and angry, but please consider those who survived because of strong mitigation by our leaders who tried to do the right thing.
David Blair
Port Chalmers
[Abridged — length. Editor.]
Take care
I have observed that for some time there has been a crashed car down the bank on one of the corners of Three Mile Hill.
There is a temporary speed limit of 30kmh on a section of the corners which has now become semi-permanent, with the recommended speed signs being replaced by circular 30 signs.
The question arises as to why the crashed car has not been removed?
On the subject of the temporary speed restriction, I have endeavoured to reduce my normal speed and stick to the limit. This has inevitably caused some impatient motorists to tailgate and on one occasion, the person passed me on a blind corner with another car coming the other way.
My message is to drive with care over Three Mile Hill, especially in winter.
John Batt
Wakari
Surcharge woes
This government is not spending wisely, as they claim. Telling thousands of retailers that they are not allowed to add a surcharge for credit and contactless etc payments will result in employing lots of people to administer/prosecute those that don’t comply which is wasteful.
By telling banks that they can’t charge retailers extra for that service when there are very few of them to check up on is much better. Banks make huge profits: they can carry that extra cost. Retailers that are struggling won’t have to increase their costs to cover what the banks are charging for that service, thus not increasing the pressure on the cost of living. What is the government afraid of?
Robert Morey
Dunedin
Centenary
North Otago Rural Women New Zealand will be celebrating the centenary of the founding of the organisation with a luncheon at the Brydone Hotel on August 29. Guest speaker will be ODT business and rural editor Sally Rae. Registration of interest from current and former members: Judy Kingan jaydeekgn@gmail.com.
The reason why use of ‘super toxin’ opposed
RE the ODT article "Doc claims predators bigger threat than 1080" (9.8.25). Having monitored several 1080 poison drops, one in particular defies all the robust science I have read and what I have witnessed.
In 2002 Ecological Networks carried out, at the request of Doc, a study on the effects of 1080 poison on tomtits in the Waianakarua Scenic Reserve. Three days after the drop I and a few others had a casual walk through the poisoned area and picked up 16 dead tomtits along with dead brown creeper, a grey warbler and blackbirds.
More decomposed bird carcasses were found in later months. The only dead predators found were half a dozen possums: no rats, cats, mice, ferrets, stoats, hedgehogs or weasels but plenty of dead deer and birds.
All tomtits were offered to the Doc for autopsy: they declined saying “we only have funding for one autopsy a year”.
Sometime later I was invited along with other interested parties to a Maf biosecurity meeting in Christchurch to discuss a pest management strategy in Christchurch at which Doc didn’t turn up.
I took to the meeting a map of all the grid-referenced dead birds found in the Waianakarua Scenic Reserve to show a senior Landcare scientist in attendance and asked him to extrapolate the total bird deaths in the 4000ha reserve.
He said he had heard of that operation; he came up with a figure that astounded me — 10,000.
Is it any wonder I and many others continually oppose the use of this poison known as a super toxin?
Lewis Hore
Oamaru
Plot loss
It seems Dunedin City Council has more interest in creating playgrounds in George St than in creating essential parking or drop-off areas for hospital staff. Have we not lost the plot here?
Graham Kitchin
Oamaru
Common sense hoped for in airport debate
There has been quite a lot of plotting to build a new international airport somewhere in Central Otago.
Christchurch City Holdings seem hell-bent on a new airport at Tarras. But when you land there you would require a bus to Queenstown which would take 90 minutes or more. Not acceptable.
It is my contention that these plans are seriously flawed. Firstly the government, I’m sure, would possibly like fewer airports in the South Island not more. I doubt if it would support this pie-in-the-sky plan.
Secondly it would seem to me to be far more practical to expand the Dunedin airport, particularly internationally, and then arrange domestic flights to Wanaka, Queenstown or anywhere.
If you fly into San Francisco and want to go inland this is achieved with a domestic service rather than building a new international airport inland. I hope common sense prevails.
Andrew Burton
Lowburn
Letters changes
The Otago Daily Times welcomes letters.
They are a vital part of the newspaper, and an important forum for readers to express their views.
To make it easier for us to receive your letters we have created a new email address — letters@odt.co.nz — for you to write to us at.
The old system, whereby letters were sent to an "editor" address, meant that letters were being missed due to the sheer volume of emails received.
Letters will receive an automatic reply to say that the ODT has received your submission and that it is under consideration. Letters longer than 250 words may require abridgement; in some cases they will be rejected because they are too long.
Our letters rules are at the bottom of the page.
Rest assured, all letters sent to the ODT are read.
However, we will seldom enter into discussion about selection or editing.
We look forward to receiving your letters at letters@odt.co.nz — Editor
